Coastal
Artillery Corps

The WW1 designation of Coastal Artillery
Corps was created in 1901 when the US Army Artillery was divided
into two divisions, 126 Companies of Heavy Artillery and 30
Companies of Light (Field) Artillery. This was
necessitated by the difference in training required to man heavy
guns verses training for the quicker movements of light
artillery (4 to 6 lb.) field guns. The Heavy Artillery (8
lb.or greater) was named the Coastal Artillery Corps and played
a major roll in World War 1 when the War stagnated into
entrenched positions on the front lines.

Initial involvement of the CAC was with
large caliber guns, stationary mounted, along the coastal areas
and foreign outposts with forts or fortified gun outposts.
We were not prepared for the large scale troop movements, and as
the Unite States entered the fighting in Europe, they initially
used French or British made weapons.

80% of the men who lost their lives
on thebattlefields, fell to artillery fire.

The evolution of warfare, specifically
the use of aerial bombing and heavy tanks lead to the CAC being
deactivated during WWII, and officially abolished in 1950.

Battery C, 151st Artillery,
Coastal Artillery Corps

Editors note: The gentleman on
the far right is George Allen Bridges of Greensburg, Decatur
County, Indiana, my grandfather. Photo from family
collection. (He was a member of a WW 1 veterans group, the 3H
Club, in Vallejo, California. The 3 H's stood for Healthy,
Hearty and Handsome.) Service record: April 12, Noviant; April 29 to
May 28, St. Jean; Sept. 12, St. Mihiel; Oct. 21 - 24, Bois de
Grand Portin,France. Served overseas from August 14, 1917 to
February 3, 1919.

William Wirt
Morea, Coastal Artillery Corps, Lake County, Indiana

“While I was with Co. A., Ammunition
Train, 1st Div., I was in practically every place in and around
the war zone. In order to mention all, I would need a war
map of France. I was with the 28th Infantry, 1st Div.,
which was the first American army outfit across into Germany on
December 13, 7:30 a.m. I was also with the H Co. that was
in the 2nd Battalion. I believe I'm one of the first boys
of Lake County to cross the Rhine. After being chosen for
the Composite Army, Co. B., I traveled in every parade they took
part in and return with the “General Pershing Guard of Honor” as
we were called

Coastal Artillery Corps
testing huge mortars at a Fort on the Atlantic Coast

National Archive Photo
CN3123 Group 64, Indiana War Memorial Archives

Paul Vernon
Wycoff, Coastal Artillery Corps,
Ripley County, Indiana

“Fired presidential salute of 21 guns at
Ft. Hamilton on Dec. 9, 1918 as President Wilson’s ship, the
George Washington, sailed out of the harbor for France.
Was Sergeant of the Guards and fired reveille guns in salute as
the convoy passed.”The 38th Coastal Artillery Corps was
welcomed to New York when arriving from Newport News, being
mistaken for overseas troops. They were in full overseas
equipment as they expected to sail for France on November 11.

The two-day trip from Newport to New York
was full of peril from floating mines. The soldiers wore
life belts the entire time. They reached New York in time to
march in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

"Trench Art"

Created by WW1 soldiers
from spent shells.

Photo of exhibit from
Indiana War Memorial Collection.

Trench Mortar Division
shoulder patch

Indiana War Memorial
Collection

Edward Leroy
Wright, Coastal Artillery Corps,
Allen County, Indiana

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward A Wright; born
May 27th, 1900 in Hammond, Indiana. He was living in Ft.
Wayne when he enlisted in the US Regular Army in February, 1917.
Sent to Columbus Barracks, Ohio, hence to Fort Terry, NY.
Assigned to the 2nd Company, Coastal Artillery Corps, Anti-air
Craft Division. Went overseas (exact date not known), and
was in active service throughout the war. Died of
influenza, December 17, 1918, in Evacuation Hospital #1,
Ravigny, France. Buried in the American Cemetery, Ravigny.

National Archives Photo
12492 Group 111, Indiana War Memorial Archives

Guns were stripped from
US Battleships to be used inland.

US Official Photo,
America's War For Humanity

"The
longest-range field gun in the world,
produced by the Ordnance department, US Army, for service in
France, though the hostilities ceased before they reached
General Pershing. More than a hundred of these guns are said
to have been prepared for shipping to France, and their
range and power would probably have an astonished the
Germans, as did the great naval guns mounted on railway cars
and manned by American seamen, that did such effective work
in the closing days of the conflict."